The Los Angeles Angels had two finalists for the 2021 Rawlings Gold Glove Award. Jared Walsh was one of the top three at the AL First Base position, while David Fletcher stood in the AL Second Base category. The winners were announced on Sunday night, with neither of them taking home the grand prize.
18 players were awarded Gold Glove honors for their elite defense at each individual position. The St. Louis Cardinals were the big winners of the night, as five of the nine NL winners came from their team. They nearly swept the infield and the outfield, missing just one winner from both.
The Gold Glove was also the first major award of the 2021 season to be given out. Silver Slugger winners are still be revealed, while finalists and winners are yet to be announced for MVP, Cy Young, Manager of the Year, and all the other top honors.
While Walsh had an excellent season at first base for the Angels, his defensive numbers did not match those of Yuli Gurriel, who ultimately took home the award. What Joe Maddon and other Angels fans might be more upset about is Fletcher not winning the second base prize.
Marcus Semien was undoubtedly a great second baseman this year, but Fletcher’s campaign to win the Gold Glove has been in effect for months. Perhaps lackluster advanced metrics are what stood in his way.
The full list of winners can be seen below:
American League Winners
1B: Yuli Gurriel, Houston Astros
2B: Marcus Semien, Toronto Blue Jays
SS: Carlos Correa, Houston Astros
3B: Matt Chapman, Oakland Athletics
LF: Andrew Benintendi, Kansas City Royals
CF: Michael A. Taylor, Kansas City Royals
RF: Joey Gallo, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers
C: Sean Murphy, Oakland Athletics
P: Dallas Keuchel, Chicago White Sox
National League Winners
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals
2B: Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals
SS: Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants
3B: Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals
LF: Tyler O’Neill, St. Louis Cardinals
CF: Harrison Bader, St.Louis Cardinals
RF: Adam Duvall, Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins
C: Jacob Stallings, Pittsburgh Pirates
P: Max Fried, Atlanta Braves